Poultry-plucking machine



2, 1940- I T. F. SCHLICKSUPP 2,206,731

POULTRY-PLUCKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17, 1938 3 Sheets+Shet L I INVENTOR WITNESSES V Theodor J17 Sch ZiekSujop QWM y 940. T. F. SCHLICKSUPP 2,206,731

POULTRY-PLUCKING MACHINE v Filed Nov. 17, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 INVENTOR WTNESSES T7zeaclor' Esohlieksupp J y ,T. F. SCHLICKSUPP I 2,206,731

POULTRY-PLUCKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17,1938 4 5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR WITNESSES Theodor E Schllbk-Supp Patented July 2, 1940 ron 'raY-rwcxmc mom i Theodor-1 Schlicksupp, New York, N. r.

Application November 17, 1938, Serial No. 240,983

5 Claims. (Oi. 1711.1)

This invention relates to poultry plucking machines, an object of the invention being to provide an improved construction and arrangement of plucker, and improved means for drawing the plucked feathers away from the plucker and elect the same from the machine.

Aprimary object of the invention is to provide a plucker which embodies a spiral or convolute device of general cylindrical form which is continuously revolved and which is caused to continuously expand and contract so that upon contraction the feathers of the fowl will be gripped between the convolutions of the plucker and drawn from the body of the fowl, and when the convolutions of the plucker are expanded or separate, the. feathers will be released and cared for by the action of a suction fan to remove them from the machine. The invention embodies many novel features of construction and combination-and arrange ment of parts, all of which will be more fully, hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims. I In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved poultry plucker showing a fowl in operative sition relative to the machine;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation at right angles to Fig. 1 and which may be assumed to be the front of-the machine;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical s I preciably larger scale than are Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional plan view taken on the staggered line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

- with the transmitting mechanism at one side of the machine shown in section and the other side in plan; Fig. 5 is a 'view in section on the line H of Fig. 4; r

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing three of the convolutions of the or expanded positions; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the convolutlons of the plucker in closedor gripping plucker in separated position.

l represents the casing of machine which may, of course, be of any desired shape and of any suitablematerial with any desired number of parts operatively connected so as to provide mounting and support for the operating mechanism and chambers and compartments for the operating devices. In'the'upper portion of the casing, and what may be considered the front I of the casing, a plucking chamber II is provided and a covering guardplate I! is 'securedoveras shown at action on an apthe open end of the chamber II and is formed with an opening l3 through which the feathers of the fowl, indicated by the reference character H, are projected and exposed to the, action of 6 my improved plucker I 'I'his'plucker I5 is a convolute or spiral device I and consists of a strip (or strips) of material, as

' shown at I! in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings. This strip (or strips) of material is preferably of steel, although it may be rial, and at its outer edge is appreciably wider or thicker than the main portion of the strip and on the periphery orouter portion of the strip, the surface is given a convex curvature, as shown at tion of the strip are given a concave curvature, l9. This shape of strip provides relatively sharp gripping edges at both sides of the outer portion of the strip to efiectually grip the feathers when the convolutions are 20 broughttogether which, of course, is' the contracted condition of the plucker, so as to e'ifectually grip and draw the feathers from the fowl and when the convolutions are separated, the feathers are released and hereinafter described.

The plucker in reality consists of two opposite spirals, that is to say, while the strip which forms the'spirals is continuous, it forms a right-hand spiral at one side of the center of the plucker 80 and a left-hand spiral at the opposite side of the center of the plucker and when the plucker is revolved-in a direction which causes travel of the spirals toward the center of the plucker, it

will give agradual or closing gripping-action to the convolutions which will effectually pluck the feathers from the fowl. The ends of the plucker l5are secured to discs 2| which may be in the nature ofopen discs or spiders, if desired, and

which are secured to the inner ends of aligned 4o shafts 22 mounted in the casing to, and these shafts are continuously revolved to impart rotary motion to the plucker and are so mopnted, as will be hereinafter described, as to permit them to be moved longitudinally toward and away from each other to expand and contract the plucker. In the casing l0, and preferably in the base portion 23 thereof, I locate a motor 24 which may be an electric motor and the drive shaft 26 of this motor 24 is provided withv a pair of pulleys 26 and 21, respectively. An endless belt 28 connects the pulley 26 to a pulley 29 on a horizontal shaft 3. and the pulley 21 is connected by an endless belt II with a pulley-32 on a shaft 31 carrying a suction fan 34. This fan 84 of any other suitable matel8, and the sides of the outer porcared for, as will be 25 is located in a fan casing 35 which communicates with the plucking chamber If so as to, draw the feathers from the latter chamber and discharge them through an outlet spout 36 into a suitable container or into a hose for directing the feathers to any desired point.

The shaft 30 above referred to at its innerend is connected by beveled pinions 31 and .38,- respectively, to a transverse shaft ,39 and this transverse shaft 39 at its ends has pulleys it and M, respectively, secured thereto. The pul- -ley' W is connected by an endless belt 42 to a pulley 43 on the shaft 22 at one side of the nia-. chine and an endlessbelt 46 connects pulley M- to pulley on the shaft 22 at the opposite side of the machine. This transmissionrmechanism above described imparts a continuous rotary motion to the plucker 1 I5. Motion is transmitted to the shafts 22 to reciprocate them in opposite directions and as this transmission mechanism is precisely alike at both sides of the machine except that certain portions of the transmission are oppositely disposed. A detailed description of one of these mechanisms will applyalike to both.

Each shaft 22 is mounted ina housing 48 which is provided with suitable anti-friction bearings 41 in which the shaft 22 revolves. The shaft 22 is so mounted in'its housing that it will be capalongitudinal movement of the plucker convolutions may be adjusted so as to give the best results.

The shaft 39 above referred to is connected by beveled pinions 49 and 50 with a shaft l5! extending from the rear to .the front of the machine and provided at its forward end with a head 52 fixed thereon, preferably by means of a set screw 53. This head 521s formed with a crank pinion 54 connected by a link 55 with a crank pin 56 on the sleeve 48 so that when the shaft 5| is revolved, the mechanism above described, including the link 53 and the crank pins 54 and 56, will'impart areciprocating mo-' tion to the shafts. 22 and thus cause them to move toward each other to contract the plucker and bring the convolutions together to grip the "feathers of the fowl and tocause the pluckeri to expand to separate the convolutionsof the plucker and release the feathers,'jwhich are then mission by carried away through the medium of the suction fan as stated heretofore.

Attention is particularly called to the fact that the opening in the cogeriug plate I2 is of a length to uncover only a relatively small portion of the circumference or outer edge of the plucker and it is to be noted that when the convolutions of the plucker pass this opening they are about to come together andare completely together as'they reach the lower end of the opening. Thus, the convolutions provide" entrance between them for the feathers, but this Fent nce or entrancesis quickly closed to eflectually g'rlpthe feathers and pluck them from the fowl.

It will be noted by reference to the drawings that all the several shafts of the machine are mounted in suitable antifriction bearings to reduce friction to a minimum, and the casing is so shaped as to result in economy of space and 7 give compactness to the machine as a whole.

While I have illustrated and described what I believe to be the preferred embodiment of my.

and contracting the plucker: to bring the convolutions of the plucker together to grip the feathers and to separate the convolutions to release the feathers, aligned shafts at the respective 'endsof the plucker, discs on the shafts secured to the ends of the plucker, reciprocating housings in which said shafts are mounted, a pair of drive shafts, crank pins onthe drive shafts, and links connecting the crank pins to the housings so that saidhousings are-caused to reciprocate and contract and expand the plucker.

2. A poultry plucking machine including a casing, a rotary convolute plucker mounted in the casing, means for continuously revolving the plucker, and means for e ontinuously expan g and contracting the plucker to bring the con volutions ,of V the plucker together to grip the feathers and to separate the convolutions to release the feathers, said convolutions being formed by a strip of metal having its outeredge appreciably wider than the main portion of the strip and presenting sharp edges from one convolutlon to another.

3. A poultry plucking machine including a casing and a rotary plucker in the casing comprising two aligned oppositely coiled spirals fixedly connected, means for imparting rotary motion to the plucker, and means for expanding and contracting'the plucker. 4. A poultry plucking machine including a casing and a rotary plucker in thecasing comprising two aligned oppositely coiled spirals fixedly connected-means for imparting rotary mo- .tion to the plucker, and means for'expanding and contracting the plucker, said plucker being caused to revolve in the direction of power transboth spirals toward the center of the plucker. 1 5. A poultry plucking machine including a casing and a rotary plucker in the casing comportions.

TBIODOREBCHLICKBUPP. 

